Laura Dern Ignites at the Premiere of Trial by Fire

Monday night, in the midst of a downpour on the Upper West Side, AMC Lincoln Square 13 hosted the world premiere of Trial by Fire (out this Friday). Dressed in head-to-toe Dior, the film’s star Laura Dern was in high spirits as she walked the carpet gushing about the film and her character, a role she considers one of the most important in her career.

Just don’t tell that to her other onscreen persona; “Even though Renata would not like me talking about any other characters . . .” Dern says, referencing her fiery Big Little Lies alter-ego, “. . . getting to play all different kinds of complex, deep, interesting, and funny women is what you dream of as an actor.”

The character Dern plays in Trial by Fire certainly checks all those boxes (and then some). Adapted from David Grann’s 2009 New Yorker article, the film is based on the tragic real-life story of Cameron Todd Willingham, a man who was wrongfully imprisoned and convicted for burning his house down with his three daughters trapped inside in 1991. Willingham was later executed even after scientific evidence and expert testimony that only further proved his innocence was suppressed.

Dern plays Elizabeth Gilbert, a writer and mother of two in Houston who befriended Willingham through a letter-writing program for death row inmates. After meeting Willingham and studying his case, Gilbert became the chief advocate for his release on the basis that he wasn’t granted a fair trial. It’s a plum leading role in a film that feels particularly topical in the current political climate, giving Dern the opportunity to let her acting intersect with her activism in big ways.

“Being an actor is exploring the complexity of being a human being, so we have the opportunity to tell stories about people who we otherwise don’t know, don’t understand, and haven’t heard from,” Dern said. “That’s why we were so inspired by David Grann’s article; to discover the horrific injustice in this case, and really just the fact that this country still executes people.”

It’s heavy subject material, and Trial by Fire rightfully leaves viewers feeling a mixture of sadness, confusion, and outrage by the time the credits roll. At the after-party following the screening at Lincoln Ristorante, the usual cocktail banter was intermixed with guests discussing Willingham’s case and the corrupt state of the criminal justice system. Which are the exact sort of emotions and conversations Dern hopes the movie ignites.

“I’m very touched to be a part of this film and continue to spread the word as other films, other articles, and many other journalists have been trying to cover for a long, long time.”